Three Hours

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Jack sits back with his feet up on his green leather lazyboy recliner. And reflects on his beautiful wife and daughter, and loving parents. His daughter's birthday is today and jacks parents coming to visit from Canada. His beautiful is wife's baking an 8" birthday angel cake. "Jack? Will you get some Icing for this cake please?" jack gets up kisses his wife and promptly starts walking to the store. He steps out the front door and immediately feels the cold November wind, and he glances down the street where he can see the bright neon sign of the grocery store that is briefly disappearing with blowing snow when the wind picks up. He steps onto the frozen doorway and hears a familiar jingle when he opens the door, and is greeted by a warm gush of air and the smell of freshly mopped floors. He walks down the aisle and shyly smiles at acquaintances and a brief "hello". He finally arrives at his section, he picks up some chocolate icing, "hmm Mary buttersworth this'll do", and Jack starts down the aisle and he accidentally drops his wallet and all his change spills out onto the freshly mopped floor. "Jesus I'm so clumsy." Jack quietly cusses to himself. He picks up every nickel, quarter and dime but leaves the pennies on the floor. He kindly smiles and thanks the three strangers that helped him pick up his change. He starts down the aisle with his wife in mind, and he sees the candy canes and he thinks to himself "they're selling candy canes already? How about that." as he pays for the icing he asks for a candy cane, then his eye is caught by a strange man with a charcoal colored fleece jacket, and a black toque who is walking through the door. Jack immediately senses that something isn't right and tries to leave instantaneously, then strange man stops him and pushes him by the teller. "Alright People! This is a robbery! Nobody has to get hurt, just do as your told!" the strange man starts to thrift through everybody's pockets grabbing their purses and wallets. Jack stands and lets his wallet be taken knowing its not worth the fight. So now he hears the distant crying of police car sirens. "Alright! Who called the cops? Somebody better answer me, or this guy is gonna get it!" yells the strange man as he grabs jack. "I'm not kidding here, this guys gonna get by the time I count to three somebody better fess up. ONE!" nobody answers "I'm not joking this guy's gonna get it � TWO!" jacks heart is about to burst through his chest as he glances at the teller "�THREE!" and jack tightly closes his eyes. Then images of his wife race through his mind and the birth of his daughter and the way she smelt that day. It was the happiest day of jacks life, then all the sudden his happy memories is broken by the sound of the chamber slowly clicking then everything shifts to black with the trembling fear that he may never see his wife and child again.

Jacks eye's starts to flicker as he slowly awakens from his unconscious state. "Jack? Jack?" all sudden Jack is overwhelmed with the familiarity of his wife's voice, and he starts to tremble with joy, and he chokes up on his tears. Jack hears a deafening scream "NURSE! NURSE! HE'S HAVING A SEIZURE!" a nurse rushes in with a needle. Then Jack feels a small poke on his leg and the blackness consumes him again.

He wakes up again, and he sees his daughter sitting at the edge of his bed looking up at the TV that is suspended from the ceiling. He smiles and he looks up and silently mouths "Thank you god". A nurse walks in "Oh what a cute little girl. Ok jack its time for your medicine, I'm surprised you survived that gunshot. Oh and your wife went to pick up your parents at the airport, she says she'll be right back. Oh one more thing Jack, it's good to see you conscious." Jack smiles and nods in pain.

Three hours have passed since jack last heard his wife, he wonders if they are out for supper, but they couldn't because of Suzzie is still with him. He stares at her, and thinks how wonderful she is, she looks over and seen him staring back at her as she smiles "Hi daddy" he smiles back at her "Hey sweetie, how's it goin'?" jack asked, "Oh I'm watching TV." She replies with a smile. "Is it good?" asks jack hoping to get a longer answer, "yup" she simply replies. That exact moment jack watches two nurses crying through his intensive care window, one of them looks sad as she glances at the two sitting in the room. Time momentarily slows down to a painful halt.

One nurse approaches jack "Jack may we take Suzzie for a little walk? And we really need to speak with you." Jack studies her heart-breaking frown forcing a smile out of herself, "ok, Suzzie honey go with the nice nurse she's gonna take you for a walk alright sugar?" Suzzie nods and grasps the nurse' hand and leaves the room skipping.

"Now jack, this is really hard news, and I know in my profession this is hardest part of the job." Jacks pre-occupied mind wonders to the nurse' face and back to the door where Janet would find a nurse explaining to him that he's going to die. "� Jack your wife and your mother are dead, your father is in Intensive Care and is in bad shape." The sentence he never thought he'd hear, it felt like a cold hard slap, which wakes him up from his hallucination. Jack sits on his hospital bed stunned and staring off into the limitless void.

Three hours later the same nurse came in and silently whispered "I'm sorry your father passed away. He died two minutes ago." More grief, he just lays there with no expression on his face, wishing and hoping to wake up. "I'm really sorry, would you like for me to get your daughter?" jack silently nods his head in agreement.

"Hey daddy! " Say's a really happy voice. "Hey munchkin. How's it goin?" asks jack "Oh daddy, molly the nurse took me on a tour and gave me a balloon, and we sawed lots of stuff, and a clown and oh daddy I wish you were their with me. Where's mommy?" asks the excited little voice. "Come here baby, daddy has something to tell you. You know your dog Snuggles? " Suzzie silently nods, " yeah, Snuggles is in a better place now, right?" Suzzie silently nods again "and�" jack's really trying hard to fight back the tears, and he can't endure, so he bursts out crying hysterically, scaring his daughter, which she asks, "What's wrong daddy? Is your head sore again?" asks the concerned little face. "Yeah baby daddy just has a headache". Jack turns his head and asks the nurse to take Suzzie for another tour. The nurse did what she was asked.

"What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" jack sits up holding his head and crying. He notices how hard he is crying and can't remember crying this hard, and this long. Then as the moment he thought about Suzzie, she appears with a 'Get Well Soon Daddy' card, and a flower, "This card and these balloons are for you daddy, and this flower is for mommy. Is she going to come and pick me up soon?" asks the innocent little face. "Suzzie honey, come sit by daddy here." Suzzie jumps up on the bed, and lays with her father. "Suzzie I have some bad news to tell you. Mommy and Grampa and Granny are gone to heaven now, and you have to be good for me okay honey?" the little girl starts howling and hitting her father. "Don't say that daddy, mommy will get mad at you, and Grampa and granny are coming to visit you 'member?" demands the little voice. "Suzzie honey you must understand, they're gone, they went to heaven." Jack says fighting back the tears. "NO! NO! NO! NO!" the little girl refusing to let her mother go. Jack grabs Suzzie and hugs her, and they start crying together.

Three Weeks and jacks finally getting out of the hospital with a quick recovery; he left behind a bad memory and astonished doctors with his unhuman recovery.

They visit Janet and his parents who are both buried in the same plot, side by side. "Daddy?" little eye's looking for her fathers. "Yes dear?" jacks tears streaking through the dark shades. "Are you going to be in the ground to? With mommy and Grampa and Gramma?" asks a confused daughter. "One day dear, One day." Replies jack, "Not now 'k daddy?" asks the little girl. "No, of course not, I'm going to stay with you for a long time." Replies jack. "Good". And there they silently stand over the graves of his beautiful wife, and his loving parents.

They see that strange man as they are passing the grocery store near their house. Jack immediately chases after him and catches him "YOU F*CKING *SSHOLE!" Jacks beating him vigorously until he isn't responding to the fierce blows. Jack falls over tired. Suzzie comes running over huffing and puffing, "Daddy?" asks Suzzie, "Why is my friend bob bleeding like that?" jack sits up bewildering look on his face, "Bob?!", "Bob shot me at the store, that�s why daddy was in the hospital, and that�s why your mommy is dead." Jack explaining. "No! No! No! Mommy fed him, and he gave us flowers! It can't be him, your wrong!" yelling Suzzie. At this point Jack's frustrated, and doesn't move. He stares at his little daughter. "Honey? How many times has this man come over?" jack asks, "oh once a day, when you were gone." His daughter answers. Jack doesn't know what to say.

The strange man wakes up in the city jail. He watches the guard come through two heavy gates. "Ok Bob, time to get ready for your sentence hearing." "What am I charged for?" Pete asks. "Attempted murder, Armed Robbery, Leaving the scene of the crime. They're out to get you Bob, and you've been identified by all nine victims". "Can I have my wallet back please john?".

"Oh c'mon Bob you know I can't do that" the guard responds. "Well at least get my picture of my baby please john?", "Okay I can do that. How's your little daughter doing anyway? Did she go through her chemotherapy yet?", "No, I don't have any insurance, or any money." The guard disappears, then reappears with a wallet size picture of bob's five-year-old daughter. "She's growing up some huh bob? My daughter still asks for her." Bob grabs the picture and looks up at the guard. "Yeah the same with Kim, She asks for your daughter too." Then the guard walks out.

Bob looks at himself in the mirror "I got it pretty bad." Then he puts on his black faded dress pants, and slightly ripped white dress shirt, and ties his home made tie, and calls for the guard.

The guard takes bob to the police vehicle, which takes him to the courthouse. He promptly walks into the vehicle, and starts driving, he looks up at the mirror, and sees bob looking scared. "Poor guy, his daughter has cancer, and this is the only way he can resolve it?" he thinks to himself. Then the stoplight turns green and they proceed. "Hey bob, what about that Shriners Hospital thing? Couldn't they do chemotherapy for free?", "Yeah that was my first thought, but the thing with the Shriners is that there's too many kids on the waiting list, and my daughter would have to wait for one year for the treatment, and she doesn't have that much time". "Well shouldn't she get special treatment since she's so far into the cancer?", "Believe me john, if there were ways that I could get her at least half way up the waiting list, then I wouldn't be here. I already wasted what was left of our life savings on a lawyer, just try to find a way to get her into the waiting list." Responds bob with a sad sigh afterwards. "Its just what am I going to do now? If...If only I could've knocked off a bank, instead of a little store, and now this guy is convicting me, and I just don't know what to do with Kim." They roll into the courthouse parking lot, where there are four security guards waiting to take bob in. "Well its been fun john.", "I'm sorry bob, I'll honestly try to help you, and I'll see what I can do." Bob steps out of the van, and is immediately grasped by the security guards. They start walking to the courthouse entrance and they pass by a well-dressed Jack and his daughter.

"Don't look sweetie." They quickly whiz by bob without glancing up. Then they accidentally bump another security guard, which is immediately recognized by Jack. "Oh hey Doug." Doug greeted Jack and held the door for them to enter. He peeked through the window of the door, and witnessed them sit at the very last seat, in the farthest end of the court. Then Doug seen the sickest little girl walk through the doors, with nothing on but an old raggedy scarf, and three summer coats, and mittens made of socks. "Excuse me Mister can you tell me where my dad is? His first name is bob, and his last name is Sloan, S-l-o-a-n. Which court room is he in?", Doug looked down apologetically "Yes, he's in this courtroom here, 102." Just when he finished his sentence he caught the little girl fainting. "Woah watch yourself." The little girl awoke, choking on her own saliva. "Oh I'm so sorry mister, let me get that for you." She apologetically tries to wipe Doug's uniform with her mittens, but ended up smearing the saliva all over him. "No, no its alright honey, you go watch your dad, I'll take care of this. Here, here's my sandwich I was going to throw it away, you take this." Doug tries to offer her his charity. "No thanks mister, I already had breakfast." Then she happily skips into the courtroom.

She enters the court when its already in session and the courtroom brakes into whispers and hushes. She calmly walks down the aisle into the first row, where she sees her dad with handcuffs on. "Hi daddy, hi. It's me Kimmy. Hi." She waves to her dad.

"Bob, is that your daughter?" the judge asks bob, "yes sir, she is my daughter." "Now look at yourself, you shouldn't do this to her. Where's her mother?" the judge scolds bob. "Sir, her mother is passed on, and sir, I did this for her, I need the money for her chemotherapy treatment. I have no health plan, and I've been laid off. I used all our life savings on some of her treatment, and I used most of it for the funeral plans for my wife when she passed away." Bob stuns the judge. "Have you gone through the Shriners Hospital?" the judge asks. "Yes sir, but the waiting list is one year, and she can't wait that long." Bob answers the familiar question. "Well the courts can influence the waiting list, and I will personally get her up to the top of that waiting list." Bob is overcome with joy, and appreciation he starts to cry. "Oh thank you sir, thank you." "But the fact of the matter is that you're convicted for Attempted murder, Armed Robbery, Leaving the scene of the crime, what is your plea?" "Not guilty by reason of temporary insanity." Bob scans the room, and glances by Jack and Suzzie. "You bastard, you had full intentions of what you were doing." Jacks bursts out loud from the silent courtroom, then immediately after the courtroom is a-buzz. "Order! Order in the court, Jack Banners you are charged with contempt. Guards take him away!" "What?!" Jack says in disbelief. Then he's grabbed by Doug and another security guard. "Where are they taking my daddy?" Suzzie cries. "He'll be alright." Suzzie hears a small whispery voice, "Hi, I'm Kim Sloan, you can call me Kimmy." "Hi I'm Susan Banners, you can call me Suzzie." The little girls immediately become friends. "Where are you going after the hearing?" asks Kimmy, "Hearing? Is this what its called? I don't know, I was supposed to go with my daddy back home, but he got taken away." Suzzie snivels, "Well don't be scared, you can come with me." Kim happily responds. "Okay" Then the two new friends left the courthouse hand-in-hand.

"Where are we going?" asks Suzzie as they are walking down the snowdrifted road. "You wanna eat?" Kim asks. "Okay, I'm kind of cold too." "No problem." Kim said with a cheerful smile. They enter a caf� and Kim stops "Wait here, I'll be right back." Kim disappears from sight, and Suzzie hears a little conversation going on in the kitchen. Then Kims head suddenly appears out of the kitchen door, "What do you like?" "Umm Hamburger and fries." Suzzie responds, "okay I'll be right back." Kim disappears again behind the door.

Minute's later Kim walks through kitchen door with two plates of food. Suzzie claps her hands happily and runs to get a seat in the caf�. "Mmm this looks good." Kim says hungrily. Then the two start on there meals. "What did you get?" Suzzie asks, "I got fries and gravy, it's my favorite." Kim covers her mouth and starts coughing uncontrollably. "Hey are you alright?" Suzzie asks concerningly, "yeah, it just really hurts when I cough, it's my sickness." Kim answers with wet eye's and reveals a hand with blood clots coughed on, "ugh, can you pass me a napkin please Suzzie?" Suzzie hurries to pass Kim a napkin. "Finish your food, it will get cold." Kim says while wiping her hands.

The two finish there meals, "You know, we're just like grown ups, we walked here by ourselves, and we ordered meals by ourselves, and we ate by ourselves. Now we just have to pay the bill ourselves, then we can be grownups." Suzzie explains, "What are we going to do now?" Kim tries to change the subject. "I don't know, let's go to my house. It's that way four blocks." Suzzie points out. "Okay, we don't have to pay, the owner is my dads friend. Let's go to your house then." The two finish off their pop, and place their pennies on the table for a tip and they get up and put their coats and mittens on. "You got funny mittens, can I try one on?" Suzzie noticed. "Okay, I'll wear your other one, and you can wear one of mine." The two agree and they step out into the cold.

They arrive at Suzy's house and Suzy pats her pockets, "Oh I don't have my key, look away, I have to go to the secret place to get the spare key." Kim covers her eyes. "Okay you can look now." Kim watches Suzzie open the door, "C'mon in." Suzzie says while holding the door open for Kim. "Woah you have a big house, and you got lots of toys." Kim said in awe of all the things that Suzzie has. "Yeah I'm bored of playing with all these toys, you can have some if you want." Suzzie said while kicking a toy out of her way. Kim stares at her in amazement. "You mean I can take some home?" "Yeah, take any one you want." Suzzie says while looking around. "I wonder when my dads gonna come home. You wanna camp here tonight?" "Umm okay." Kim says. "Okay, here I'll get you a pillow and a blanket, you can camp on the bottom of my bunkbed. I'll get you the phone too." Suzzie starts to get Kims bedthings ready. "What do I need the phone for?" Kim asks, "Too call your mommy, so you can camp here." Suzzie walks around getting her things laid out while explaining. "My mom is gone to heaven, and I don't got a phone, I'm staying by myself right now, 'cause my daddy is in jail."

"Hey mine too. Okay, you wanna watch TV?" Suzzie suggests. Kim agrees and they start watching TV.

Jack walks in really late, and notices them lying on the floor in front of the tv. "Hello Suzzie, I was looking all over for you, where have you been?" Jack scornfully says. "I went out for supper with Kimmy and we walked home here." Suzzie says while rubbing her eyes. "Hi I'm Suzy's father Jack." Jack apologizes while he introduces himself. Kim looks up with her eyes half open "Nice to meet you Mr. Banners, I'm Kim Sloan Suzy's friend." "Suzzie can I talk to you over here for a minute?" Jack said as he motions Suzzie to the next room. "Is it alright with her parents that she's camping here?" Jack asks

"No, her mommies gone to heaven, and her daddy is in jail." Jack suddenly realizes who Kimmy is and puzzled by the response that he was given, "Goodnight sweetie, goodnight Kimmy." "Goodnight Mr. Banners" he hears the small praise in the living room.

Kim wakes up in the morning with the smell of bacon. She wakes up and stretches her arms, then starts to violently cough. She tries hard not to make a scene, and tries to cover up her coughs into her pillow so Suzzie and Mr. Banners wouldn't come rushing in. Kim lays back down, and covers her eye's "Oh no, I wrecked Suzy's pillow. I gotta wash it." Kim starts for the bathroom, and runs to the door, and she's frightened by the sudden appearance of Jack. "Good morning Kim, is there something wrong?", Kim breaks down, "I'm sorry mister banners, I ruined your pillow case." "Don't worry about that, here let me take that. You go and have breakfast with Suzzie, there's bacon and eggs, and some toast." "Thank you mister Banners." Kim hurriedly runs to the dining room. "Hey Kim, good morning." Suzzie greets over her plate of bacon and eggs. "Good morning Suzzie." She replies while looking for her plate. "Its right here" Suzzie points out. "Did you have a good sleep?" Suzzie asks, "Yes I did, thank you for asking." Kim replied with impeccable manners that astonish Suzzie. Kim notices Suzy's staring at her, "How come your sick?" Suzzie asks, and Jack passing by overhears Suzzie "Suzzie!" Jack interrupts. "No it's alright Mister Banners. I'm sick 'cause daddy says there's a reason for it, and its up to me to figure it out."

Jack steps out of the house to gather himself, then thinks about the day before, and what the judge said. Then it finally comes to him "Kim is the daughter of the guy who shot me. But she's so sick, how can she�" Jack's interrupted by Kim "Oh hi mister banners, I'm just heading out now. You should get inside, it's cold out here." Kim smiles at Jack. "Umm Kim, can I talk to you for a second." Jack closes the door. "You remember yesterday right?" Kim nods "Do you remember what the judge said?" Kim nods in agreement, "What did he say then?" Jack asked, "He said ' Order! Order in the court, Jack Banners you are charged with contempt. Guards take him away.'", "No, not that part, about you being skipped to the top of the waiting list." Jack informs Kimmy. "Yes, I remember, that�s where I'm going right now, I'm going to see the judge to tell him that its not fair to the other kids, they probably need it as much as I do." Jack stunned with Kim's goodness. "I'll give you a ride to the courthouse, just let me go and get Suzzie." Kim agrees, and waits in the car for Jack and Suzzie. Seconds later Jack and Suzzie walk out of the house with their winter gear on. "Boy you guys were fast." Kim compliments as Jack starts the car.

They get to the courthouse, and Kim steps out. "Thanks mister banners." She walks into the courthouse, when Suzzie yells out "Hey Kimmy wait for me." And Suzzie runs to Kimmy, and Jack starts for the parking lot. Jack enters the courthouse, and asks the guard where the two little girls are "They went to see Judge Roberts, down that hallway, fifth door from the right.", "Thank you." And Jack walks to the designated door, and overhears two defense lawyers "What are we going to do with the daughter? There's no way that she's old enough to stay out on her own, does he have any relatives?", "No, he and his wife were only children, and the parents passed away long ago.", "Well what should we do with her?", "I guess the only thing we can do is hand her over to the orphanage.", "Poor girl." The conversation echo's in Jacks head as he continues on his way.

"Ah it's nice to see you Mr. Banners, how's your temper today?" the judge stands up and greets Jack with a handshake. "You must understand I will not have that kind of outburst in my courtroom, and you're no exception." Judge Roberts explains. "And have you met Kim Sloan?" "Yes I have your honor, she spent the night at my house, and you see your honor, that�s what I have to talk to you about, its pretty obvious that she'll be turned over to the orphanage, and that�s not right. I would like to be Kims parental guardian, it would be a good family environment, and�". "You do realize that she's the daughter of the man who shot don't you?", "Yes your honor I did realize that, but that�s not the issue, the issue is that I want to give the little girl a chance for a normal childhood.". "You make a good point mister banners, I'll have to take that into consideration when I choose her future housing. In the meantime I have moved Kim up to the second name on the list. So if you please Mister Banners, will you take her immediately to the Shriners Hospital for diagnosis?", "Yes your honor, right away." Jack starts for the door, and looks behind for Kim. "Kim come on." Kim hesitates, "Mister Roberts, I don't want to go, its unfair to the other children that have waited so long, and its just not fair to them, so I want to go back to the bottom of the waiting list please." Kim asks. "Kim Sloan you are an angel, but unfortunately I can't go back and ask for you not to go to the bottom of the list, you'll just have to go in and receive your much needed treatment." With that the judge excuses the banner family and Kim Sloan.

"Bob, you have a visitor." Bob wakes up from his sleep, and walks out of his cell. He enters the visitors' room, and he sees a little person sitting at a table, he doesn't recognize her at first sight, then at closer inspection he sees his daughter. "Kimmy! How's my baby doing?" Bob runs to his daughter, "Oh just fine daddy, I missed so much, when are you getting out?" "I'm afraid not for a while sweetie. Where are you staying?" bob asks, "You know that man you shot? His name is Mister Banners, and I'm friends with his daughter Suzzie. They're my legal guardians now."

Jack and Suzzie watch from a safe distant, "Daddy?" "Yeah honey?" "Would you do that for me?" "Exactly the same honey, exactly the same."

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�1999 Curtis Joseph Kayseas